Converging Paths
by Korsriddare
Summary: Their paths diverged when someone close to both of them died. One is now a jounin sensei, the other a medic nin on indefinite leave. Look at how their paths eventually join up again [Kakashi x OC].
1. Of Rain and Memories

Disclaimer: Nope, unfortunately Naruto is not mine. However, the new characters and plot are :p

Chapter 1: Of Memories and Rain

It started off as a usual day in Konoha, the Village of the Hidden Leaves.

The morning sun shone through the clouds high above in the sky, caressing the village with its warming touch as the inhabitants woke up from their sleepy slumber throughout the night. The first of the villagers came forth from their homes to attend to their daily routines, filling the village with activities.

The stoic faces of the Hokages, forever a testament to Konoha's history, looked like guardians watching over their charge, protecting and defending it with the legacy of their wills.

Bright emerald eyes swept over the cliff, stopping for a moment over the Fourth's face. They closed in remembrance.

__

Sensei…

Delicate fingers brushed away strands of brown hair as the morning breeze gently caressed them. Seeing her intended location not far from her, the young woman walked in. Surrounded by flowers, she took in a deep breath, and a gentle smile appeared as the glorious scent filled her sense and soul.

"Good morning, Reiko! Buying flowers again?" greeted a blond girl by the counter.

"Good morning, Ino. I would like the usual, please? " Reiko replied, giving Ino a warm smile.

"Okay! Hang on for a sec!"

The young woman stood near the window of the shop, basking in the warm glow of the morning sun as she waited for the young girl to find what she wanted.

"Here you go!"

Ino handed her a bundle filled with different varieties of flowers. Reiko simply nodded and paid her, before stepping out of the shop.

"Have a nice day!"

Reiko signed, looking up at the sky. A slight frown appeared on her face as she noted the varying movement of the clouds. _It is going to rain…_Shaking her head, she walked on, the bundle of flower safely cradled in her arms.

__

Nice day? No…

Today…

Brings back too many bad memories…

**__**

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The Memorial Stone, an obsidian piece of object that honors all those who died to protect the village, ensuring that their sacrifices would not be forgotten.

A lone figure stood in front of it, as he had always been, his mind deep in thought.

__

Every time I come here…

I thought of punishing my old, foolish self…

His right hand rose from his side, touching the cool surface of the black stone, feeling the names engraved on it. As if guided, it stopped on one particular name. _Obito_.

__

Perhaps…perhaps if I had been less arrogant…

You would still be alive…

Running his hand through his silver hair, he looked up at the darkening sky. Rain. He always wondered if it was pure coincidence that it always rained this day of the year. Sighing, he walked off, just as the first drop of rain fell from the heavens above.

**__**

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"Why am I so stupid?" Sakura muttered under her breath. She _knew _Kakashi-sensei was going to be late. She _knew_ and yet in her haste to be punctual, she forgot to bring an umbrella as she rushed towards the bridge, Team 7's usual meeting place. Of course, if they went for a mission, getting wet would be the least of their worries, but she could always hung on to the tiny hope that by the time the mission started, the rain would be over, and she would still be the dry, clean girl that she was just a few minutes ago.

__

How long is this rain going to last? Sakura wondered as she walked past some trees into the clearing leading towards the bridge. Noticing a figure already waiting there, she instinctively raised up her hand to greet Sasuke, assuming that he was, as usual, the first one there.

"Good morning, Sas–" _Huh? Kakashi-sensei?_

"K…Kakashi-sensei? But…but you were never early!" She pointed at him almost accusingly. He seemed not to have heard her, his eye looking straight ahead, looking at some place far away from the bridge. _Kakashi-sensei…he looks almost…nostalgic? But he always seems so emotionless and –_

"Sakura, please tell Naruto and Sasuke that there will be no mission for today."

She blinked. Her mind not fully yet recovered from the shock of seeing him early. _Huh?_

With that, the tall jounin began to walk away, his back facing her with a palm in the air vertically, the other one tucked in his pocket. A flash of lightning crossed the sky, and the rain seemed to pour down with more fervor. Sakura stared at her sensei's fading silhouette until it was completed obscured by the rain. _Kakashi-sensei really seems different to day…I wonder why…_

"Sakura-chan!" A bubbly voice shouted from behind her. She turned to find Naruto bouncing towards her, his ever-present grin plastered on his face.

__

At least someone's mood is not dampened by this rain…

Trailing behind the blonde silently was Sasuke, his face still frozen in that state of no-emotion.

"Erm…Kakashi-sensei had already left. He told me that there isn't missions for us today," said Sakura, awaiting their reaction, especially from the loud-mouthed genin.

"W-WHAAAT!" was Naruto's reply. Even Sasuke was giving her a surprised look.

"KAKASHI-SENSEI? EARLY? HECK, HE HAS NEVER EVEN BE PUNCTUAL BEFORE! ARE YOU SURE THAT WAS OUR SENSEI?"

Sakura rolled her eyes. "Yes Naruto, I am positive. Shall we all go home now?" The pink-haired girl suggested, hoping to get out from the cold rain to the warmth of her home. _Especially a nice hot bath! Yes! I definitely will have a –_

"NO!" Naruto shouted. He wanted to find out why Kakashi-sensei was so early today. Maybe then he can prevent him from being so damned late next time! "I mean, we should follow him to find out why he is being so early today. Don't you want to know?"

Inner Sakura was screaming _YES! YES! YES! _But Sakura was still hesitant, her primary concern now was that nice, hot bath waiting at home. "But Naruto, I mean we…"

Too late. The loud boy was already hurrying off, headed towards the direction that Kakashi took. Sasuke merely gave a shrug and followed. Deep down, he too was curious about Kakashi's punctuality, or the lack of it. Indeed, they knew not much about their sensei, perhaps other than his abnormal fascination with 'Come Come Paradise'.

Sakura looked at her two teammates' disappearing backs, before taking off after them.

**__**

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They found Kakashi at the training ground, not that distant from the Stone. However, he was not alone.

"ETERNAL RIVAL KAKSHI! I AM HERE TO CHALLENGE YOU! I WILL NOT ALLOW OUR RECORDS TO BE TIED AT 51-51! TODAY, WE SHALL DETERMINE WHO IS SUPERIOR!" The man wearing a green suit proclaimed loudly.

"ARGH! IT IS THICK BROW'S THICKER-BROWED SENSEI!" Naruto some what shouted out the obvious, to be rewarded with a smack on the head from Sakura, "Keep it down! And stopped being so rude! He is Gai-sensei, a jounin-sensei just like Kakashi-sensei."

Sasuke looked at the two of them, shaking his head. _Sakura, you are also stating the obvious…_

"Not today, Gai," said Kakashi quietly, his usual deadpan voice even more monotonous.

"WHAT? ARE YOU REFUSING AN HONORABLE CHALLENGE? ARE YOU A COWARD, KAKASHI-"

The edges of Gai's lips lifted as he blocked off a spinning kick from the silver-haired jounin. Kakashi twisted his body, and his left leg came back up from the other direction, aiming for the opposite side of Gai's head. The taijutsu expert brought up his other arm to deflect the kick inches from his face, and at the same time his right knee came up, going straight for Kakashi's chest. Team 7's sensei used both his hands to cushion the blow, and using its momentum, leapt back to where he had being standing just a few moments ago.

The three genins stared at them, stunned speechless by the display before them. One moment the two jounins were ten meters apart, and suddenly Kakashi was upon Gai, doing a double spinning kick and then blocking off a counter-attack, all in a space of two, no, one second. Naruto's mouth was wide open. _I know Kakashi-sensei was fast, but seeing it with my own eyes, it is just am-_

"Amazing…" Sakura whispered, sharing the same sentiments as Naruto. She looked at Kakashi-sensei as if seeing him for the first time. Sasuke, also surprised by the display of speed, commented, "F…Fast…"

The bowl-haired jounin spoke, his tone soft in contrast with his usual passionate cries, "Finally…a fight…"

Kakashi, still silent, crouched down and pulled up his forehead protector to reveal his sharingan. He briefly ran his middle finger over the scar across his left eye, and flexed his fingers before form them into a fist, his right arm still by his side, unmoving.

__

This fight, Obito…

Though Team 7 could not see his lips under that omnipresent mask of his, they could hear his next words clear enough…

__

…is for you.

"Let's go."

**__**

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Finally, the first chapter of my first fanfic done!

Please read and review, all comments and criticisms (you do know that there is a different between flame and criticism, no:p) are welcome!

Thank you.


	2. Jounin VS Jounin

Disclaimer: Yup, you guessed it, Naruto is not mine.

**_Beatrix Kiddo - _**Thank you so much for your review!!!! I was thinking nobody's gonna review my story until you did )

_Updated Version: I felt it was too short, and seeing now that I've got a few days before my next paper, I added more stuff to this chapter :)_

**Chapter 2: Jounin VS Jounin**

The flash of lightning momentarily blinded the clearing. Five figures stood in the middle of the training ground, three of them standing some distance away from the two taller figures, who were looking at each other intensely. The atmosphere was deafening, and nobody there could here the splattering of the rain, nor the rumbling of the thunder that followed.

Another lightning cause the three genins to instinctively blink.

The two jounins streaked towards each other. Team 7's sensei spun his left leg towards Gai, the rain drops pushed away by the force of the kick in a deadly yet elegant arc. With impossible reaction time, Gai deftly palmed down Kakashi's calf, and with a slight turn, rammed his left elbow into Kakashi's torso. Sakura winced inwardly, knowing that it must have hurt like hell, having witness first hand what Gai did to the ninja (not to mention the wall) when the Sand and the Sound attacked Konoha.

Or so she thought.

Gai's right eye brow rose slightly when his elbow passed completely through, hardly feeling any resistance, as the silhouette in front of him dissolved into a pool of water.

_Mizu-bunshin…I see_…

He turned to stop an overhead chop with his left arm, then, with a turn of his wrist, he grabbed onto Kakashi's arm and pulled it towards him. With Kakashi involuntarily moving forward, Gai ducked, leaned forward, and sprung up, landing an uppercut directly against his rival's chin. Kakashi could only look on as he got hit, flying up into the dark sky.

Kakashi, still feeling the pain from his lower jaw, flipped once in the air to recover his equilibrium, just he caught Gai leaping up beside him. _Shit…_

"_KONOHA SENPUU!!!" (Konoha Whirlwind)_

He did manage to turn and cross both his arms before the kicks landed. Though it soften the blow, he was still sent rocketing towards the thick trunk of a large tree. He ducked forward, ensuring his legs land first, and tensed when he hit. Like a spring, we rebounded off the tree, his hands performing seals.

All Sasuke could catch was a blur of movement, before Kakashi landed on the clearing, opposite the tree. With Gai still in the air and now looking rather alarmed, he finished the last seals.

"_Katon: Hououza no Houyou!" (Fire Element: Embrace of the Phoenix)_

It started as a tiny spark in front of Kakashi. The tiny orb of fire expanded with a tremendous rate, the roaring flame drowning out the combine sound of the thunder, rain, and the genins' collective gasps. A pair of wings unfurled from the fireball, and they looked on in awe at the fiery apparition. Its huge head turned towards Gai, and as if spotting its prey, the crimson mass streaked towards him. It trailed vapor as the rain turned into steam the moment they offend its beautiful shape. The whole scene looks unreal, even ethereal. Sakura's mouthed silently the name of the magnificent form flying towards Gai, her eye taking in the full glory of the mythical creature.

_The legendary bird of flames…_

_Born out of ashes…_

_Phoenix…_

The wings converged upon Gai, and it was not long before he disappeared inside the sphere of flame. Suddenly, lances of flame shot out from the ball as it exploded, scattering onto the training ground sparks of fire. Sakura looked on with wonder, amazed at what she had just seen.

_What a death cry…_

"Too slow, Kakashi!"

Kakashi catapulted backwards just as a foot burst out through the ground where he had been crouching. Gai emerged, seemingly unhurt. He positioned his left hand behind his back, and extended his right hand towards Kakashi in a pose that is all too familiar. Sakura smiled, amused despite the seriousness of this fight.

_Lee even imitated his sensei's pose…_

…and Gai disappeared from view.

With a speed too fast to catch by most eyes, Gai launched a flying kick at his rival. He allowed himself a smile when he felt contact, but it turned to a frown when he heard a dry crunch. _A substitute?_

True to his suspicion, what 'was' Kakashi splintered into numerous pieces, puncturing the earth with small pieces of wood, some puncturing the ground, others breaking on contact.

"_Raiton: Hiryuu no Rakurai!" (Thunder Element: Thunderbolt of the Flying Dragon)_

_He must have anticipated my avoidance of my previous attack…_

_But…_

_When did he move?_

With this question in his mind Gai turned in time to catch Kakashi's palm facing outward before his world was covered in a brilliant light, and then the darkness claimed him into its void.

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

Under the canopy of the rain, the three genins stared, bewildered and astonished. That last jutsu had them speechless and breathless.

_Thunderbolt…_

…_of the Flying Dragon…_

They had seen Gai appearing in front of Kakashi, gasped when they thought such a powerful kick hit their sensei, and they had sighed in relieve when the substitute revealed itself. However, those could not compare with what they saw next. The silver-haired jounin had rose out of the ground, the last hand seals completed. He had then pushed both palms forward, towards Gai.

A crackling pillar of raw energy struck Gai, though the speed at which the bolt was so incredible that had they not seen their sensei or Gai getting struck, they would not have known from which direction the jutsu originated from. The blue lance exploded against him, sending arcs of lightning flying in all direction, dancing frenziedly across the area, however, with its bulk of energy still intact, the thunderbolt moved on, carrying Gai through several tree trunks before it dissipated.

As the rain started to clear away the dust from the impacts, the genins finally regained their breaths, and rushed to check on Gai.

"He would be unconscious for a few hours, otherwise, he would be fine." Kakashi said. He then turned around, and walked away, in the direction of the memorial stone.

_He would be fine?_

_Or you kidding me?_

Naruto looked at Gai's unconscious figure, and tried to imagine himself being slammed through several trees, not to mention being struck by a thunderbolt before that. Ouch. He bent down to take a closer look at Gai's body, and then he prodded him with his fingers.

"AWWWW!!!!"

Naruto jumped away in shock as Gai leaped up in pain, his hand messaging his side. The genins look at him, incredulous of his vitality. Gai seemed to suddenly remember something, and glanced around, trying to look for something. Not seeing what he was trying to find, he asked the three present, "Er..Where is Kakashi?"

"He's gone," Sakura replied.

"WHAT?! The fight is not over yet! I can stil-AW! AWW! AWWWW! AWWWWW!" He jumped around, clutching his back. With an exasperated sigh, Sakura told the two boys, " Let's get him to the medics."

They nodded, and went on to help Gai limped away, but not before Naruto turned back his head, to see where Kakashi had walked away from.

_Sensei really is different today…_

_Did something happen?_

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

"_I hate you! Hatake Kakashi, why couldn't you be the one who died? Why him? I hate you! I HATE YOU!!!"_

Once again, he stood in front of the black stone, his face looking down at the names engraved.

So many…

So many people that he knew…

Dead…

_Many times I wonder, Obito…_

_Why am I still alive, when so many ain't…_

_Sensei, the Third…_

_You…_

With his half-gloved hands in his pockets, he crouched down. Kakashi withdrew from his flak jacket a flower, and placed it on the stone platform. Trails of rainwater ran down his smooth face as his eyes softened in remembrance.

_We were the best, weren't we?_

_You…_

_Me…_

_Reiko…_

His eyes pained at the name, pained at his own stupidity. How he had failed his team, his village…failed those around him…

_All because of me…_

_She lost her best friend…_

His heart seemed to ache at that. More than ten years had passed, and yet every time he came here, every time this day arrived, the same heartache returns. It ached for what may had been had he not died, it ached for all the hurt he had caused.

_Well Obito, I have to go…_

Kakashi chuckled to himself.

_You do know all the paperwork we jounins have to do, don't you?_

_After all, I always complained to you about it, no?_

As he stood up and got ready to leave, he tensed as he felt another presence in the vicinity. Surprise turned to recognition, before forming into heart-wrenching guilt.

_Reiko?_

"Hatake."

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Well, the finalized version of chapter two, hope you enjoyed it.

Then again, the bad news…

Haha…I got exams till net Thursday, so will not be updating…though I will try to do some writing during the weekend, and hopefully get something posted next Friday.

Till then!


	3. Contact

Disclaimer: Once again, I must state that Naruto is not mine…

**Princess Tsunade-**I am sooo happy i got a review from you! :) In respond to some of your comments, nope, i am not a martial artist, and i have no experience writing combat sequence (at least on the personal scale). I added a fight scene so quickly was to show how even Kakashi may lose his cool sometimes. ;) Thanks for liking the Thunder Element, i thought since we have seen all 4 of the other elements, maybe it is time Kakashi shown us the final type, hehe, and i seriously doubt he will use fire jutsu that requires him to use his breath to propell the flames, so i made up one which will propell itself ;) I am still waiting for my results though :(, they are only out in early march....

Chapter 3: Contact

"Hatake."

Reiko said his surname harsher than she had wanted to, and regretted it immediately when she saw a slight tremble from his figure. She had been surprised to see him, and the sight of the jounin brought back all the unwanted memories.

_Ever since that day…_

_I have never seen you again…_

_Sometimes, I could sense your presence in the crowd, but you always disappeared before I could search for you…_

She wanted to tell him that she had not meant to say those hateful words. She was just a girl, for crying out loud! She could still remember the many times she sensed him around when walking along the streets, and he was gone by the time she could pinpoint his location. At the most, she could catch a glimpse of silver, and he would have vanished from view before she could say anything.

Yes, she was angry with him for purposely avoiding her. If it had only occurred once, she can accept it as a coincidence; twice, accident; thrice, she can still bear with it… But almost once every week? That was just a too much!

She had rehearsed in her head countless times what she would say if she manage to corner him. However, now that he was standing in front of her, Reiko could not think of anything to say. He had grew taller since they last met, and his body now seems leaner and fitter than ever.

_And he is still wearing that stupid mask!_

Kakashi looked at the young woman, her long brown hair untied. She was wearing her usual oufit except for the forehead protecter, a sleeveless white martial artist outfit with golden trimmings and loincloth that covered the front and back of the short white pants that she wore, matching white guards were firmly tied to her forearms and calves. She looked the same, as beautiful as ever.

_After all...i do see her quite frequently... _

The two of them stood under the rain in awkward silence, one feeling too guilty to speak, the other simply lost for words.

Kakashi fidgeted. He looked at the young lady standing in front of him.

_Damn…_

_I should have noticed her earlier…_

_She probably does not wish to see me around…_

"What the hell are you doing here?" Was the first thing that came out of her mouth. Reiko seriously wanted to slap herself for saying that.

_Stupid stupid mouth!!!_

The silver-haired jounin nodded in understanding, looked at the memorial again, and had leapt away before she could rectify her mistake. Reiko clenched her fist tightly, partly angry at herself, partly angry at him running away _again_. The anger was replaced by sorrow as she remembered the look in Kakashi's eye, that agony that she once had still very alive and intense in his.

_Oh, Kakashi..._

_After all this time..._

_You still blame yourself, don't you?_

She could still remember a time...a time when he was not like this...

_**oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo**_

_Two streaks clashed and sparks flew as metal scrapped against metal._

_The silver-haired boy could not help it and yawned, which served only to infuriate the girl more. She wrapped another hand onto the kunai and applied more pressure forward, but her opponent did not seem to feel any difference, his right hand still steadily holding his kunai against hers. His left hand came up and rubbed his eyes, which angered her even more._

_"Kakashi-kun, you're sooo going to die for that!!!"_

_The boy blinked once, and his gaze turned to her._

_"Huh? Die for what?"_

_She could not read his expression under that mask, but it seemed that he was genuinely confused._

_"MY GOODNESS! How did you ever become a chuunin with that dim-witted brain of yours?!"_

_She could see his lips curled up into the simplest of smiles._

_"Really, Reiko-chan, is that the way to talk to someone who is more senior and higher-ranked than you?"_

_"Trust me," she said through clenched teeth, "no one will notice."_

_Deep in her heart, she was enjoying the atmosphere. He was always so serious. so cold... But at times like these, the ten year-old in front of her seemed to be able to relax. His eyes seemed..._

_Content..._

_**oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo**_

_But now..._

She refused to believe that he had been carrying that weight around for such a long time. Maybe, maybe it is because today is the day...the day that he died.

_How can anyone survive so long with so much guilt and hurt?_

_Did you hurt all these time?_

Reiko looked at the flower that Kakashi had left, and it felt as if a invisible hand had squeezed her heart.

_So..._

_You were the one who had always arrived earlier than me..._

She had always found a flower on the memorial every year, but she was always alone when she came with not a single soul in sight. She had always assumed that perhaps someone else's loved one had died on that day,it did cross her mind that maybe it was him, but she had ruled it out since she had never seen him for the past years.

She was wrong. Very wrong.

_Oh, Kakashi..._

And for the first time at the Memorial Stone, under the witness of the gray sky, Reiko cried for someone other than Uchiha Obito.

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Chapter 3 finally up! Haha...i know it was slow, but immediately after my examination i went oversea, in fact, i am still on holiday, thus i do not get the chance to update. But on seeing so little reviews, i thought not many people were waiting, so i need not type so fast, no?

You do get the hint, right? :D

Anyway, i am returing on the 12th of Jan, so expect updates to come faster after that...


	4. Mobilisation

Disclaimer: As much as I may like Naruto, it is not mine no matter how I wish it ;

**To all who reviewed – **Thank you all so much! Not that I do not want to update, but I had many things to attend to. Well, my results were quite bad, but at least now I can definitely get into a university :D. Thank you for your patience if you are still reading Converging Paths

_(And yes, it has been edited again --)_

**Chapter 4: Mobilisation**

With practiced ease, the lone figure executed a double kick at the thick trunk of a tree and flipped back, landing on the ground a good ten feet away and readying herself at a fighting stance. Imagining an opponent in front of her, she dashed forward. Leaning her body towards the ground, she allowed her momentum to push her hands towards the ground. With her hands as pivot, she launched into an overheard kick from her back, creating a backward arc.

Finishing that move, Reiko stopped to catch her breath and brushed away some stray hair from obstructing her view. She looked around the deserted training ground, grateful for the comfortable silence enveloping the area.

_After all, no sane person comes to train at two in the morning._

She launched herself into the air and landed on the top of a tree, her face looking up at the moon.

Her hair flowing behind her as the gentle night breeze enveloped the area, she sighed, remembering the scroll she received…

_Jounin Hikari Reiko,_

_Due to current political and military situation, we regret to inform you Konoha Jounin Command has revoked your status as a nin-on-leave._

_Assignment of your duties as a reinstated Jounin will be handed to you at the Administration Building, meeting room B3 at 0900 hours tomorrow._

She sighed again, running her hand through her brown hair…

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

Tsunade looked at the monthly reports, her face blank.

"What is it, Tsunade-sama?"

The Hokage looked up at her assistant, eyes hinting that she was think quickly, "Shizune, we're looking at a thirty percent increment of bandit raids on the merchant convoys coming in and out of Konoha."

Shizune stood there quietly, waiting for her to continue.

Tsunade took out another file, and flipped a few pages before continuing, "Medical supplies have dropped as a result." She stopped for a moment and took out _another_ file. "And there has been a twenty percent increment of skirmishes coming from our outposts along the border."

The blonde woman closed all three files, and stood up.

"Bandits are not uncommon, Shizune, however, in the last month alone, many of these convoys which were attacked did not make it here. They were either destroyed outright or forced to turn away from their original destination."

She moved to the window overlooking Konoha, one hand on her chin as she looked out. Shizune stayed at her spot, watching the Hokage in silence, waiting for her to make her point. Though the Hokage might be bashful and brutally honest at time, she _is_ one of the sannin, and her intelligence is not to be disputed.

"Many convoys do have their escorts, and it is not uncommon for these bandits to be repelled. What we have here are organised attacks with some purpose in mind."

Tsunade turned around to face Shizune, her face still unreadable as she continued, "I have noticed, Shizune, despite the effort by whoever is coordinating this, that there is a certain theme to these seemingly random attacks. "

She looked outside the window as she spoke, her voice firm, "We are looking at the careful erosion of our ability to wage war, Shizune."

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

A Jounin entered the already-filled room, hand holding up an orange book as he held up a half-gloved hand in greeting before taking a seat near the end.

"Hatake Kakashi."

It was more of an acknowledgement than anything else, and he nodded to the officer in charged of this briefing. He tucked the book into his pouch and was about to lean back on the chair into a more comfortable position when he froze.

_Reiko!_

True to his awareness, the brunette, now wearing the forehead protector on her head, walked into the room. The room suddenly quieted, numerous pairs of eyes focused on this newcomer. Most of the Jounins in the rooms had never seen her before, and almost all of the ninjas in the room had the same thought: _What is she doing here?_

The officer, once again in his monotonous voice, acknowledged her presence, "Hikari Reiko."

She nodded and looked around for a seat, eyes widening for a moment as her emerald orbs caught the silver-haired Jounin. She turned away quickly, settling for a seat near the front of the circular room.

He felt cold despite the lack of breeze in the room.

"Alright, let us get down to business." The officer cleared his throat and announced.

"Standard protocols applies here, so that means the information about to be given to you is classified, and none of it _will_ be known other than the occupants inside this room as of now, understood?"

A series of murmurs and nods affirmed their responses.

The officer walked to the board, and pulled down a detailed map of the Country of Fire and its nearby geographical features.

"We are facing an unknown enemy as of yet."

Kakashi managed to avoid chuckling. _Typical of him: straight to the point._

"He or she, or better, for the purpose of this briefing, let us coin this nameless enemy as 'it'."

A few Jounins could not help but grinned at the deadpan delivery from the briefing officer. He ignored the grins

"It has been sending attacks against merchants carrying medical supplies to Konoha, and those who were responsible for getting them, masquerading as bandits."

A slight pause.

_Hidden implication: Somebody is trying to strike at Konoha discretely._ The officer did not say it out loud, but Kakashi knew that most of the Jounins in the room already got to the same conclusion as him.

"However, these raids were too effective and well-planned to be done by bandits. Moreover, according to…our sources, this increased rate of 'bandit' raids only applies to merchants and traders moving to or from Konoha."

He paused to let the situation sink in, before continuing, "For now, you will concern yourself with what was told. Intelligence is trying to find out more, and you will be informed accordingly."

He looked around, and spoke again, "Before we hand out individual assignment, there is another matter that needed to be attended to."

Kakashi leaned back and closed his eyes, knowing what was coming.

There is only a few reasons why he would say that, and I'm sure it is about… 

He looked over at the Reiko's back, his guts feeling cold again.

I'm sure you do not wish to see me around, no? 

A sad smile played over his features, though the mask obscured it, even if anyone was watching him.

"We have a S-ranked mission directly linked to this briefing, and is strictly voluntary. Only one ninja would be utilised, rest of the information would be given to the one would volunteers, as per S-rank protoc-"

"I will take it."

A single hand was raised up, his uncovered eye showing boredom as a lazy grin could be seen under his mask.

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Haha, I am prepared to be stoned for such a long-delayed update.

XD


	5. The Wheel Turns

Disclaimer: Gah, another one? Noooo……Screams and runs away, leaving behind a simple note "Nope, not mine."

You guys should get the latest data book, a wealth of information! Or rather, I am just waiting for the translated version to come out, currently the only reference that I can understand are the statistics of the various attributes of the characters -.-

And of course, thank you for the reviews :)

Chapter 5: The Wheel Turns

Reiko stared at him in shock.

S-rank mission...

True, she knew that she had not taken any missions for many years now, but in essence, how missions were ranked would not have changed much. Since many of the missions taken up by the ninjas of Konoha were requested by third party, it was only natural that the village itself had to rank the missions. She was once rotated to administration duties and had to grade missions accordingly, and she was given a general guideline when classifying missions…

S-rank missions.

General classification: Outcome of the mission may affect the political and military state of the village and/or the country.

Mission parameters (including but not only the following): Elimination of politically sensitive targets, elimination of hardened military targets, transportation of vital communication…

Expected oppositions: Ninjas of other villages, expected strength – veteran Chuunins, ANBUs, Special Jounins and Jounins.

Risk analysis: High possibility of death. Completion of mission objectives will normally take precedence over survivability of operatives.

For a moment, there was only silence in the room as the other Jounins contemplated the seriousness of such an act.

S-rank mission, only one ninja…

"Very well, Hatake, follow me then." There was the tiniest hint of solemnity in the officer's voice. However, it was almost an afterthought to Reiko as the Copy Ninja nodded and started to stroll towards the door, his gaze not once resting on her. In fact, it seems as if he was avoiding her.

Almost certain death…

She wanted to scream, to pull the silver-haired man back before he could reach the door, to pull him back into the perceived safety of the room. The weather outside was _perfect_, he should be out enjoying the sun, not…not volunteering himself for an assignment he may very well not survive!

He stepped out of the room.

She looked at the door as if it was some kind of gate, one that accepts doomed soul with glee. She wanted to say something, but there was nothing to be said.

You better come back alive, idiot!

She clenched her fists, trying to prevent the sickening feeling in her stomach from overwhelming her.

Idiot!

****

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Said idiot was currently walking along the corridor, both hands placed in his pant pockets as he looked out the windows.

"I must admit, I did not understand your action, nor am I able to understand it now," The briefing officer offered quietly, pacing himself besides the silver-haired Jounin.

Kakashi turned his face towards the man, his face having a blank expression as he mumbled a reply, "Hmmm?"

They continued to walk for a while in silence as both men rounded a corner, the stoic faces of the past Hokages now looking down at them through the windows.

"You do realise the…survival rate of the ninjas undertaking solo S-rank missions, yes?"

Kakashi waved his half-gloved hand in a dismissive gesture.

"Mm, I survived, no?" His visible eye creased in amusement. The officer merely shook his head as he ran some numbers in his mind.

75 percent fatality rate for those undertaking an S-rank mission alone.

To survive two of them would be…

"You are overestimating your chances, Hatake."

…6.25 percent…

Not to mention that the more one goes to, that number will drop dramatically…

Another dismissive wave as they arrived at the Hokage's office. The Jounin then turned towards the officer, his masked face unreadable before he replied.

"I'll manage."

The officer nodded then opened the door, allowing the Jounin to walk in before he too followed and closed the wooden door behind him.

Kakashi looked around the carpeted room. In front of him was the Hokage's desk, on it piles of paperwork were stacked up like a mountain. The room itself was cozy, with shelves of books lining up the walls. Of the Hokage? She was nowhere in sight.

The officer cleared his throat.

There was a blur of yellow as Tsunade sat straight up behind the desk. Kakashi noted the still-focusing eyes and some slight depression on her arms and concluded that she was –

"I was er…resting for a moment," She managed without sounding too embarrassed. She looked at the officer, then at Kakashi, her tone turning serious.

"He is here for the mission, I assume?"

"Yes, Hokage-sama."

"Very well, Kakashi, take a seat." The last visage of her nap disappearing as she eyed the Jounin. The silver-haired man pulled a seat from the desk and sat down wordlessly, his expression, if there was any, hidden by the mask.

"Now, before I brief you, you need to be absolutely sure that you want to take the mission. Once the information is given to you, you can't back out." She kept her tone formal, wanting him to know that this was serious.

He nodded.

"You should also know that the fatality rate of such missions is…high"

He nodded again.

Tsunade shook her head, then managed a sad smile as her expression softened. "I expect no less of you, Kakashi, always ready to fight for Konoha…"

38 S-rank missions…

276 A-rank mission…

413 B-rank missions…

Other than the Sannin, no other living ninja in the Hidden Leaf has such an impressive record…

"I do what is needed, Hokage-sama," Kakashi's eyebrows creased in a smile, though Tsunade froze momentarily.

Even his smile…

…Is the same as Sakumo…

She could still remember the White Fang, his status in Konoha and the other Villages was on par with the legendary Sannin.

A good man…forced into death due to circumstances…

To be honest, she knew nothing about Hatake Kakashi even after Sakumo's death. That changed when Kakashi was taken into the wings of the Fourth. The Fourth, of course, was Jiraiya's student, and that sort of made him his grand-student.

And that pervert loved to gloat about it…

…Still, he had the rights after all…

… Two geniuses under him.

She shook her head inwardly before taking out a file from one of the desk drawers and handed it over the pile of paperwork to Kakashi. She then leaned back on her couch as she rested both her arms on the armrests.

"To make long things short, Kakashi, we found _the_ camp."

The silver-haired man looked up, the file half-opened, his visible eyebrow raised slightly in inquiry.

"Of where these 'raids' were sent from, Hokage-sama?"

She nodded grimly before speaking, "It was pure luck if you look at it from a certain angle. A team of Chuunins were returning to Konoha from a mission stumbled upon the camp, there, they recognised some of the supplies that were suppose to arrive in Konoha."

Kakashi waited.

Her tone…there is more…

She sighed softly, then continued, "Only two of them came back."

He inhaled sharply, then his eye narrowed.

"Not only their organisation, but their skills…They far surpass mere bandits."

It was more of a statement than a question.

The blonde woman wrapped her hands together in front of her as she leaned forward, her expression deadly serious, "We are not entirely sure of the origin of the camp, but if they are truly ninjas, the implications of their identity will have far-reaching consequences…"

She trailed off, leaving the obvious unsaid.

If they are truly ninjas sent by another village…

It could mean another War…

The silver-haired Jounin unconsciously tightened his grip on the file.

"I'll need you to scout out the camp, Kakashi. Find any evidence or proofs of their identity and origins. If you find any intelligence regarding their activities, that must also be returned. Your secondary objective, is to gauge the threat level of this camp… If necessary, you will need to eliminate it." She paused for a moment.

"However, I'll stressed that you do it if only it is of utter importance and delay cannot be afforded. If not, you _will_ report back so we can send in teams to eliminate it, understood?"

The Copy Ninja gave a nod.

"Relevant information can be found into that file, you depart two days from now at 2300 hours, dismissed."

As she watched the Jounin walked out of the room, a tint of sadness graced her expression.

You have already risked yourself so many times for Konoha…

…yet you still continue to volunteer for such missions…

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Reiko brushed the hair behind her ear as she stepped out of the briefing room last. She touched the forehead protector with her left hand, her fingers feeling the carving on the metallic plate.

An active Jounin once more…

She traced the line that formed the symbol of the Hidden Leaf with her delicate fingers, mixed emotions forming in her heart as she closed her eyes.

Pride, at being an elite of a village worth sacrificing for…

Sorrow, at the events that had led her to be on indefinite leave before…

Joy, at the comrades she will meet again…

Sadness, at the comrades who were no longer there…

Obito, Sensei…

Footsteps.

She lowered her hand quickly, opened her eyes and turned towards the source of the sound.

Hatake Kakashi.

The silver-haired man stopped mid-stride and looked up from the file, a momentary look of surprise crossed his face before his expression became unreadable again.

"Reiko."

At that moment, the air seemed stilled, the corridor around them muted as she tried to form a coherent sentence.

Damn it, speak, mouth, speak!

"Kakashi, I…er…"

I want to apologise!

Her mouth decided to take over.

"Why on earth did you volunteer for such a mission!" She managed not to blush at the outburst, her lack of tact was simply appalling…

His visible eye crinkled in a gentle smile as he spoke, "Of all the Jounins in that room, I had the best chance of getting out of it alive, Reiko."

His voice held no trace of pride, arrogance or boastfulness. It was a simple fact. Asuma, Gai and Kurenai were all out with their respective teams, and some of the other elites were already dispatched on missions.

Her expression softened.

No, Kakashi-san, I doubt any of the Jounins are stronger than you, not to mention those in the room…

"How have you been, Reiko?" The gentle smile remained on his face, though she thought she detected a hint of sadness behind that voice.

"I-I have been fine…" She managed, still unsure of what else to say to him.

Both of them fidgeted at the silence that accompanied her words, both unsure what to say.

Finally, the Copy Ninja spoke.

"I need to go. It was…nice seeing you again." He started to walk away, his footsteps light and sure. He avoided looking at her when he passed her, his face looking straight ahead. Her knuckles tightened.

Say something before he goes away!

"Kakashi?"

He stopped, not looking back. She bit her lips, before speaking, a shade more gentle than usual.

"Good luck."

She watched as he nodded, then walked away, disappearing from her view.

Come back alive…

****

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Finally finished chapter 5…had a lot of things to work out.

I really should write longer

I will try! I really will!

Edit: Thank you Concetta for pointing out that mistake :) And no, I have not lose interest in the story :)


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